Nightmares and Chocolate
by Damaged Ghost of an Angel
Summary: A monkey awakes in the night, horrors still clinging to him like the hands of the dead. How do his companions deal with these nighttime horrors?
1. Sanzo

Nightmares and Chocolate

Chapter One: Sanzo

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"Sanzo?"

The plantitive cry cut through the darkness, waking the blond priest sleeping on the single bed in the room.

"Do you have any idea what time it is, you stupid monkey?"

"Really early. . . I know."

"Well, what the hell do you want?" The priest snapped, sitting up slowly, holding his head in one hand. When the child didn't answer, he looked over at the doorway, the fight leaving him when he saw the tiny figure standing there, backlit from the lamps behind him. The small boy he had picked up only a few months earlier was standing in the doorway, dressed in the overlarge shirt Sanzo had given him for bed, his dark hair messier than normal, a blanket wrapped around his thin shoulders, trailing on the floor behind him. Sanzou sighed, dropping his head into one hand. "Get over here."

The child shuffled forward and Sanzo frowned at the darkness in his golden eyes.

"What happened?"

" . . .had a bad dream." The young boy stood before Sanzo, head bowed, eyes now hidden by his dark chocolate bangs.

"Do you remember it?" Sanzo asked, trying to remember what Komyou had done when he was a child and had gone running to his master with a nightmare.

"I was back in the cage. . ." Goku sank down to the floor, gathering his knees to his chest, wrapping his arms around them. He rested his chin on his knees, staring at a space under Sanzo's bed. ". . . an'. . . there was this bird that visited me. . . an' there was this kid who came an' he killed it an' ripped its head off an' there were a bunch of monks all laughing at me an' you were there an' you were laughing at me too an' you told me to shut up an' I reached out for you an' . . . an' . . . ya shot me. . . an' I died."

Sanzo looked down at Goku, then sighed lightly. "idiot."

Goku winced, his head hanging even lower.

Sanzo dropped to the floor beside the child, looking over at him, placing one hand on his head. "I'd never shoot you, Goku." Goku looked up, hope lighting his golden eyes as he looked at Sanzo. "You probably wouldn't die, even if I shot you."

Goku looked away again and Sanzo sighed to himself, standing.

"Come on, monkey. I'll make you some hot chocolate."

"Okay!" Goku stood, running to the doorway, his mood much improved.

Sanzo followed at a slower pace, smiling gently to himself. He cared for the monkey, no matter how annoying he could be. Of course, Sanzo would shoot himself before he ever would admit that to Goku.

He made a note to talk to the monks later about their treatment of Goku, but right now, his main concern was how to make a good mug of hot chocolate.

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A/N: I have plans for two more chapters, if you wanted to see them.

And Goku's about 12 here. If you really want to know how my mind works, ask in the review! ^_^

Hope you enjoyed!


	2. Hakkai

Nightmares and Chocolate II

Chapter Two: Hakkai

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Hakkai rolled over as he felt a disturbed chi enter his room. He sat up as soon as he saw who it was. Goku was standing in the door to his room, golden eyes wide and terrified. "Goku, what happened?"

"I had a nightmare. . ." Goku muttered, shuffling over to Hakkai.

"Are you okay?" Hakkai asked, looking the child over. He knew from experience that nightmares could get violent and one could hurt oneself.

"I'm not hurt." Goku sat down on the bed next to Hakkai, who wrapped an arm around his shoulders.

"All right. Do you want to tell me what happened?" Hakkai asked gently, looking down at the young child who was staying with Gojyo and him while Sanzo was on a trip to see the Three Aspects. Sanzo hadn't wanted to leave Goku alone at the temple, since the monks were cruel to him, so he had asked Hakkai to take him in.

"I was in the. . . the cave, you know. . .where Sanzo first found me?" Goku looked up at the older man, who nodded, encouraging him to continue. "Anyway. . . I was in the cage an' all alone, an' Sanzo came to find me, just like he did. But. . .this time. . .he reached out for me an' I reached out for him, but. . . a demon came an' attacked him. He got rid of the demon, but suddenly there were hundreds. . . hundred of thousands of them an' they started torturin' Sanzo. They took his scripture an' his gun an'. . . an' tortured him. . .an' I couldn't stop 'em." Goku paused, drew a shaky breath and continued. "An' then he died. His face pressing against the bars, he died."

Hakkai could feel the young man shivering in his grasp and he smiled gently at him, trying to calm him down. "Goku, Sanzo's fine. It was just a nightmare."

"I know. . . but still. . ." Goku buried his face in Hakkai's shoulder, shivers wracking his thin form.

Hakkai smiled gently, rubbing Goku's back, trying to comfort the child. "I know, Goku. Nightmares can be horrible. Believe me when I say that I know."

Goku looked up at Hakkai, pulling back, rubbing a sleeve across his face. He sniffled, then rubbed at his face again. "Really?"

"Yes. I've had many nightmares."

"You have?"

"Yes." Hakkai smiled sadly, looking down at the boy. Goku was about fifteen, but he still acted younger. _I guess that's because he was in the cage so long. _

"What were they about?"

"I'll tell you, but first, shall we make some hot coco?"

"Yeah!" Goku's face lit up and he started out of the room. Hakkai smiled to himself, following at a slower pace, grabbing his glasses from the side table, sliding them on. When he got to the kitchen, Goku was already digging in the cabnets for a pot. "Sanzo made me coco once. . . but he kinda burned it. But I didn't tell him that, 'cause he was bein' nice."

Hakkai laughed softly. "Well then, I won't burn the coco."

"Good."

Hakkai pulled the pot out of Goku's hands, setting it on the stove, pouring in milk, then stirring in coco mix. He watched carefully as it heated up, slowly adding nutmeg and cinnamon, sliding in chunks of chocolate, melting it. When he was finished, he poured the thick coco into two mugs, setting them on the table, along with a plate of cookies.

"What were your nightmares about, 'Kai?"

"My past." Hakkai replied simply. "The events that led up to Sanzo coming after me."

"Oh." Goku looked down at his hot coco.

Hakkai smiled at Goku, taking a cookie and dipping it in his steaming coco. "Are you feeling better?"

"Yeah!" Goku imitated Hakkai, dipping a cookie in his coco, stuffing it in his mouth.

"I'm glad." Hakkai smiled, taking a bite of his cookie. "We'll finish the coco, then you should go back to bed."

"Um. . . okay."

"And if you have another nightmare, you know where my room is. Feel free to wake me up if you need to talk."

"Okay! Thanks!"

Hakkai smiled, watching the child eat cookies and drink his coco. He had only known Goku for a little over a year, but he was still glad he had met the young man. Goku brought light and laughter into a once dark life and he didn't know what he would do without him.

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A/N: Well, there ya'll go! Chapter two!! ^_^

And thanks a bunch to orangevbnin and chibibook for the reviews! They keep me going! ^_^

Chapter three up soon. . .


	3. Gojyo

Nightmares and Chocolate III

Chapter 3: Gojyo

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Gojyo rubbed a hand across his face as he stumbled into the room he was currently sharing with Goku. _Gah. I drank too much. _He frowned, his head clearning, as he saw the thin form silloetted in the window. "Goku? Why are you still up?"

"Huh?" Goku started, turning around. "Oh. . . it's nothing."

"It's two am. You're never awake this early, monkey."

"Don't call me that."

Gojyo frowned at the lack of fire in the teen's voice. "Come on, Goku. Talk to me."

"It's nothing Gojyo." Goku moved back to his bed, dropping down on it.

"Hey. Somethin's wrong. I want to help." Gojyo sat next to the eightenen year old, watching him. He had known Goku for nearly four years now and looked at him as a younger brother.

"Fine, but you can't laugh at me."

"I won't."

"I had a nightmare an' couldn't sleep."

Gojyo smiled gently, wrapping an arm around Goku's thin shoulders. "See? that wasn't that hard. What was your nightmare about?"

"Um. . . we were traveling an' we got attacked, an' I got really hurt an' so you and Hakkai took off my limiter to try to help me heal an' I went crazy an' attacked you an' killed you, an' I could hear you screamin' an' then I went for Hakkai an' he took off his limiters an' we fought an' I killed him. . . an'. . . an' then I attacked Sanzo an'. . . I ripped him apart an' yeah. . . " Goku's voice trailed off as his head dropped. He muttered his last sentence so softly, Gojyo almost didn't catch it. "An' . . . the worst part was I knew what I was doin'."

Gojyo stayed silent for several moments, the he let out a soft breath. "Well. . . that would keep anyone up."

"I don't want it to happen."

"It won't."

Goku looked up at Gojyo, his golden eyes solemn. "Gojyo, promise me that if I go crazy and go after anyone, you'll kill me."

"Goku. . ."

"Promise!"

"Fine." Gojyo sighed. "I promise. I'll either kill you or I'll get your limiter back on."

"Thanks."

"But you know you can't kill me, monkey." Gojyo laughed, ruffling Goku's hair.

Goku smacked his hand away, glowering. "I'm serious."

"I know." Gojyo stood, walking to his bag, rooting through it. He pulled out a small can, setting it on a table, picking up the coffee pot from the coffee maker. He headed into the bathroom, filling the pot with water. He dumped this in the coffee maker, then set the pot back, turning the machine on.

"Do you have nightmares?" Goku suddenly asked.

"'Course I do. All the time."

"Really?"

"Yup. Nearly every night."

"What about?"

"My past, this journey. . ." Gojyo shrugged, spooning hot coco mix into two mugs, dumping hot water into the mugs. He mixed the coco and handed a mug to Goku, smiling a bit. "Everyone has 'em, ya know. Even Sanzo."

"I know. I've heard him yelling in his sleep before." Goku took a drink of his coco and screwed up his face. "It tastes like coffee."

"Yeah. Sorry 'bout that. Blame the coffee maker."

"Well. . . it's better than burnt."

"Burnt?"

"Sanzo burnt coco once."

"Ah."

They went silent, drinking their coco. When Goku finished, he set his mug on the side table.

"Gojyo?"

"Yeah, monkey?"

"Thanks."

"For what?"

"Listening. . . and not judging.

Gojyo smiled, ruffling Goku's hair again. "Anytime. Now get to sleep. I don't want you drooling on me tomorrow."

"I don't drool."

"Whatever." Gojyo laughed as Goku returned to his bed, curling up in the covers. Gojyo watched as Goku descended into sleep, a gentle smile on his face. _Guess this is what it's like to be an older brother. _He laughed lightly, pulling the covers over Goku. He headed to the window sitting on the sill, opening the window, smoking, enjoying the quiet of the night and the taste of his cigarette, mingling with the coco taste still in his mouth.

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A/N: Yay! The final chapter. ^_^

I hope ya'll liked. I was thinking of doing an epilogue, but I don't know of what I would say.

Anyway,

thanks to:Sakural7865, mimi and orangevbnin (you've been with me from the beginning) for the reviews!!!


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